Originally we planned to go straight to Prague from Budapest, but the seven hour train ride didnâ€™t sound too appealing in our tired state. A few nights earlier at our favorite beer garden in Budapest, we met a great guy named Nick from England who had quit his job and was traveling Europe in a Winnebago. He had just come from Bratislava and said he loved it. This guy was just our style, and since Bratislava was roughly half way to Prague, we decided to stop for two nights.

On the train ride between Budapest and Bratislava, a little scenery

Our time in Bratislava was short, fortunately so was the list of important sights to see. We made the effort to climb the hill to the number one attraction in town. Any guesses? A castle of course

Heading out of the old town below the castle and across the Danube is the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising

Built in 1972 and the seventh largest cable-stayed bridge in the world, this high tech bridge basically cuts right into the old town between the castle and the main cathedral. Apparently there was outrage in Slovakia when it was being constructed because of how it would detract from the old townâ€™s facade, but nevertheless in 2001 the bridge was declared the Slovakian structure of the 20th century. With that fascinating tidbit of Slovakian history, and having seen the important sights of Bratislava, we decided to explore the cobblestone alleys of the old town below to see what we might find.

Is there a Dubliner in every city in the world?

Later on in the evening, at Amigos bar, David befriended Eliska, our Slovakian barmaid

Coincidentally, Eliskaâ€™s last day on the job was the next night, and she had friends in Prague. Less than 36 hours later she was on the train to Prague with us.

And that was Bratislava, short and sweet. Some of the friendliest people that I have met so far. The three of us at Amigos – Bratislava makes you smile!